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SCOInternational

33Signatory members of the SCO to date

32Simultaneous connections

OrganizerUK Space Agency UKSA

Next Steering CommitteeFebruary 2022

Key wordsSteering Committee, Charter

7th Steering Committee: on the way to COP26

Published on 18/10/2021
On Wednesday 29 September 2021, the SCO members held their 7th International Steering Committee under the chairmanship of the UK Space Agency (UKSA). With one month to go before COP26, this session was particularly aimed at optimising the SCO's participation in this meeting, which is already cited by all sides as crucial for the future.
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The United Kingdom, seen here with the Sentinel-3 satellite, will host the 26th annual UN climate conference (COP26) in Glasgow in early November.
The United Kingdom, seen here with the Sentinel-3 satellite, will host the 26th annual UN climate conference (COP26) in Glasgow in early November. © Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data [2016]/processed by ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

As a preamble, Ms Beth Greenaway, Head of Earth and Climate Observation at UKSA, reminded the audience of how fundamental the use of space is for climate action. "Adapting to the climate means changing the way we live and investing in infrastructure such as roads and flood defences. When undertaking such changes or investments, UKSA's view is that the data used must be accurate and trustworthy. In this respect, the importance of open data and data sharing within the SCO and how it could advance these issues in the international debate is interesting" she said.

SCO at COP26

Discussions have been going on about how the SCO will participate in COP26, opening up different possibilities to establish and enhance its place in the climate change landscape. While we can already reveal an address by the President of the French Republic and a round table in partnership with GEO (Group on Earth Observation), all the details of the final programme will soon be published on our website.

The SCO International Charter

The drafting of the SCO Charter is the result of a long-standing process, organised and reaffirmed over the last two years, which consisted of a series of research, interviews and exchanges between the members of the drafting group. The current "zero" version provides a solid basis for finalising the drafting of the charter and developing the associated rules of procedure. As time constraints make it difficult to sign the Charter at COP26, all parties will strive to do so by June 2022.

The session ended with a lot of discussion, the results of which you will soon discover!

Next steps

Major events for the planet are expected in the coming months, and the SCO is doing its utmost to be present:

  • November 2021: COP26 in Glasgow (UK);
  • December 2021: World Space Forum, organised by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in cooperation with the Austrian government on the theme "Space4Climate Action";
  • February 2022: "Climate fortnight" organised by France on the occasion of the Dubai World Expo (United Arab Emirates);
  • April 2022: Second part of the COP15 in Kunming (China)
  • September 2022: IAC 2022 International Astronautical Congress in Paris (France)